Tribal Tales of Watchers

Origins | Tribal Tales

Many indigenous cultures around the world hold beliefs around Watchers, who are normally intermediaries, guardians or teachers. These beliefs are often deeply rooted in the culture's history and spirituality.

Tutelary spirits appear frequently In Native American myths, often with both human and animal features. Coyote, Eagle, Bear and Raven are demigods, but there are also elemental gods of thunder and whirlwinds. Shamans are intermediaries within the tribes, accessing the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, for healing, soul journey work, or to seek advice from the gods.

The Cherokee tale of the Nunnehi is reminiscent of Watchers. The Nunnehi, also known as the immortals, are protectors of the Cherokee. They are not gods nor humans but supernatural spirits who help the tribes in times of need or war. The Nunnehi can appear as human, and they love music and dancing.

There are also accounts of Dark Watchers, which date back thousands of years to the Chumash tribe, who lived along the central coast of California for around 13,000 years. The Chumash natives have told stories of The Dark Watchers since the Pre-Columbian era.

Dark Watcher of the Chumash tribe in central California

The Dark Watchers are apparently giant human-like phantoms that are only seen at twilight, and they are usually spotted standing silhouetted against the night sky along the ridges and peaks of the mountains. Sporting wide brimmed hats and walking sticks, these beings are believed to possess incredible hearing as well as impeccable eyesight, and are immune to technology.

The Apu, or mountain spirits of the Incas, are said to be the guardians of the mountains and the people of the mountains and bear some similarities to the Biblical Watchers. Revered as powerful divine guardians and protectors, they are said to have taught the Incas how to farm, how to build their cities, and how to live in harmony with nature. The Incas saw the mountains as a gateway from Kay Pacha (the earthly realm) to Hanan Pacha (the celestial realm).

The Apus are often depicted as human-like beings with the heads of animals. The Incas made offerings to the Apus, and built temples and shrines to honor them. The Incas believed that if they pleased the Apus, these guardians would protect them and help them to live a good life. The Apus are still important to many people in the Andes today. People often make offerings to the Apus, and they still pray to the Apus for protection.

In Australian Aboriginal mythology, there isn't a direct equivalent to the Biblical Watchers, but there are a few types of ancestral spirits that do have similarities. The Watchers in the Bible are often described as angels who descended to Earth and interacted with humans. Similarly, Aboriginal myths feature spiritual beings who play roles in the creation and ongoing supervision of the world. Here are a few Aboriginal spirits and gods that could be seen as roughly analogous to the Biblical Watchers:

Wandjina: In the mythology of the Aboriginal people of the Kimberley region in Western Australia, Wandjina are ancestral spirits who are responsible for the creation of the world and the introduction of culture. They are depicted in rock art as human-like figures with large heads and halo-like features, which can be somewhat reminiscent of the depiction of angels. Wandjina control the weather and are deeply involved in the ongoing wellbeing of the people.
Mimis: In the beliefs of the Aboriginal people of Northern Australia, particularly the Kunwinjku people, Mimis are spirits that are associated with the land, and they live in rock crevices. They are considered to be among the original ancestors who taught humans how to hunt, cook, and live properly, imparting knowledge to humanity.

In contrast to the Chukchee, Arctic shamans of Siberia, and the Eskimo, who have whole classes of Supreme Beings (vairgit, Chukchee; kiyarnarak, Asiatic Eskimo), the indigenous Koryaks of Russia's Far East have more of a tendency towards monotheism. They do have tutelary spirits though, such as Raven and Reindeer, who teach the people how to hunt and trap animals, how to protect themselves against evil spirits, and in return the people offer sacrifices to these spirits for their help.

Animistic worship forms a key part of indigenous tribal mythology and is the backbone of beliefs going back over 65,000 years. In his book The Nephilim: Kings of an Epic Age, Willem McLoud supposes that the rich mythology of the Sumerians was inspired by oral traditions of shamans from the northern Zagros mountains. In the cosmic axis of the world tree, an eagle sits at the top and a serpent winds around the base of the tree, representing the realms of the divine and underworld. These represent opposing spiritual forces, and in Sumerian myths this tree is associated with Enki, and also Gilgamesh in his quest for immortality. The epic myths of the Sumerians most likely would have included many of the stories passed down from shamanic tribes who practiced animism. McLoud states “Shamanism, however, still formed an integral part of Sumerian worship, especially in the worship of Enki”.

The angels of the Bible were not originally winged. The winged Cherubim and Seraphim are figures derived from the Near Eastern tradition of winged zoomorphic guardian figures and are not angels since they perform none of the angelic functions. Angels, including Watchers, were seen as intermediaries, or messengers, between God and man. They were not depicted as winged creatures, but rather as robed men whose faces were like lightning. It is unclear where the concept of radiance or luminosity originated, probably from Sumerian or Akkadian mythos, something we explore in more detail here.

The Hopi people of the southwestern United States believe in Kachinas, spirit beings that serve as intermediaries between humans and the gods.

Some Kachinas are depicted as radiant or luminous, representing aspects of the natural world like the sun, stars, and rain.

These are just a few examples of the many different beliefs that indigenous cultures hold around watchers or non-human guardians or teachers. These beliefs are often very personal and sacred to the people who hold them. They can provide comfort, guidance, and protection in times of need. Oral traditions and storytelling predates the written mythology of Sumerian culture by many thousands of years, and likely constitutes a major part of the mythology of early civilizations.